


The Broadchurch Files

by LizAnn_5869



Series: Life, Or What Happens When You're Busy Making Other Plans [7]
Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Crack, Established Relationship, F/M, First Day of School, Fluff, Holidays, Honeymoon, Humor, Love, Mild Angst, Romance, family life, two year time jump
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-17
Updated: 2017-01-18
Packaged: 2018-04-26 19:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 20,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5016961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LizAnn_5869/pseuds/LizAnn_5869
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the home for all my short ficlets and drabbles and such.  The first is an already posted work, "Words."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Words

**Author's Note:**

> These are going to be various short stories that fit in various places in the timeline. After I came up with some short ficlet ideas I realized I wanted them organized together. Some of them will be funny, some serious. Just little glimpses of their lives. Enjoy! Please comment and /or leave prompts.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This takes place right before "Sleep Tight." Inspired by playing Scrabble with the family late into the night.

The CID floor is humming with activity, so many busy people working hard on a robbery/arson case. Their leader, the man in charge, sits at his desk, poring over the scientific details of a arson report. So much to digest, so much to learn. He hates arson cases and the minutiae of burn patterns and accelerants are going to drive him spare. 

Anyone observing DI Alec Hardy would see him through his office window, scanning his notes, reading the computer screen, then making more notes on a legal pad that doesn't leave his side while he's at work. 

All the coppers know he's dating Ellie, that they're moved in together, and it baffles some of them, and warms the hearts of others. But they all know he's a notorious workaholic and many of them wonder if he's going down that same path with the single mindedness of his focus, so similar to the Latimer case. He was hell on wheels then, and he hasn't changed much now. Even with Ellie to soften some of the edges. 

He makes more notations, looks at the screen, then removes his glasses, looking frustrated. Is this it, then? A few of them wonder. He wads up some notes, and tosses them across his office. Yes, it looks as though he's about to begin a Hardy Rant. They're bracing themselves for it when Hardy's distracted by his mobile on the desk. He snatches it up and stares at the screen. Rant deferred, then, is the thought of many minds. 

*****  
In Hardy's office, he stares at his screen. He reads, he thinks, he evaluates. After a bit he types, hits send. He puts the phone down, visibly calmer, and looks back at the computer. 

The response comes back a minute or two later. At first he looks surprised, then his lips press together in a line of disgust. The phone buzzes in his hand.

The screen reads "Ellie." The message: "Gotcha that time, Hardy! LOL! Finally!"

She's going to be insufferable now, he thinks. He rolls his eyes, imagining that she's probably doing a victory dance in their kitchen at that very moment. His lips quirk into a small smile. 

He wonders how she always seems to know he needs a little break. A little top-up, so to speak. He types back, "Good game, Miller."

She jokingly calls the game they play off and on "Words with Fiends." He's just glad to have a bit of a breather before he dives in again. He gets a smiley- face text back. It will have to do until much later, when he gets to see his best friend's smiling face. 

Hardy's grinning like a loon, or a man in love, when Warren pokes his head in his office, as usual, without knocking. Hardy looks up at him, grin faded, stern expression replacing it. Back to work, then.


	2. Pumpkin Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Ellie learns one of Alec's dark secrets.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forgive me for the sheer goofiness of this chapter. Trust me when I tell you that I react pretty much in the same way Alec does in this story. It certainly makes Halloween interesting for me!  
> Takes place right before "Tricks."

Finally home after a day that felt much longer than it actually was, Alec was relieved that he'd actually get a dinner at home with his family for the first time that week. The sun was just starting to go down, and the warm glow of the kitchen window was very inviting. 

He could hear the laughter before he opened the back door. "Can I do it too?" Fred was asking.

"Of course. It'll take me forever to get all this out if you don't," Ellie answered him. 

Alec entered the kitchen and saw at last what was causing all the commotion. There was a pumpkin sitting on the counter, and Ellie was elbow deep in it. Fred was kneeling on a chair, pulling wet, stringy things out of it, squealing with laughter. "Ewww!" He giggled.

"I know! It's super slimy, isn't it!" Ellie laughed.

Tom pulled out a bit and waved it in Fred's face, to general laughter. From all but Alec.

"That's...huge," Alec said, unnecessarily. He was wondering if he could bolt from the room in an unobtrusive way, and realized he'd never should have spoken if he had any hope of achieving that.

"Yes, Captain Obvious, it is," Ellie said with a snort of laughter. "Tom, I'm gonna have you go though and pick out the seeds in a bit, so we can roast them later. Found Granna's recipe for it. C'mon, Hardy, take off your coat and dive in!"

It occurred to him that she'd just given him an out, that he could go take off his coat and stay out of the kitchen...for the rest of the evening, possibly....but he realized that it was too late. The sight, combined with the smell.....he was about to embarrass himself quite spectacularly. No hope for a graceful exit now.

Ellie got a good look at Alec. She took in his pale, yet slightly greenish-tinged face, and his wide eyes. "Alec? What's wrong, love?"

She extended a hand, which had wet, stringy pumpkin innards dangling from the fingers like a decomposed burial shroud from some bizarre zombie death movie. He turned on his heel and dashed out of the kitchen. Seconds later she heard the door to the downstairs loo being thrown open. 

"What the hell..." she muttered, quickly wiping her hands on a dish towel. It wasn't particularly effective but she couldn't be bothered to care. She was too frightened. 

"Alec? What's wrong? Do you have your pills on you, or....."

"I don't need my pills," he muttered. She found him in the loo, with his eyes closed, leaning his forehead against the cool mirror. "Not my heart." 

Ellie looked confused. She grabbed a flannel and wet it with cold water and handed it to him. "If you're nauseated put this on the back of your neck. It always helps me." She extended her hand again, and he looked at her hand with a disgusted expression. He covered his mouth.

"Still on there," he murmured sickly.

"What the bloody hell? Are you coming down with somethin'? What's still on...." Then she looked at her hands, still ever so slightly messy with pumpkin gunk, and the penny dropped. She could not hold back a snort of incredulous laughter. "Are you...do pumpkins make you...Oh. My. God. You are! Pumpkin guts make you sick!" She roared with laughter while he flashed a nauseated, angry glare at her. She didn't notice because she was clutching her own stomach, nearly doubled over. 

"Wash your hands," he growled.

"Seriously? The man who cleans up after Fred when he barfs? And has taken on toilet training without batting an eye? Cleans up bloody flesh wounds from football and scooter riding? A little bit of stringy pumpkin takes you out?" Her eyes were tearing up. "For God's sake! You voluntarily eat haggis!" Ellie burst into laughter again. 

"Get out if you're not gonna wash up!" he barked. 

She pushed past him to the sink, still giggling. She washed her hands. "Better?" 

Alec's hand was still over his mouth, but he was nodding. Several deep breaths later he tentatively removed it. She was watching him, face red with laughter. His face was starting to heat up a bit as well. 

"My brave Scotsman," she said fondly. "Pumpkin is his kryptonite." She recalled something. "Is that why you wouldn't eat that pie Lucy offered you?"

He nodded. "I despise pumpkin flavored foods. Loathe them. The smell, the taste.. The smell of raw pumpkin gets me every time. Then the wet stringy bits...." He shuddered and Ellie giggled again. 

"Oh, have a laugh," he mumbled. He ran some water and splashed it on his face. 

She rubbed his back soothingly. "I'm sorry..."

"No, you're not."

"Well...no, not for laughing. I think it was relief. And well, because it's hilarious. But for a minute there I thought something was seriously wrong." She cupped his face and when he looked askance at her hand she added, "No pumpkin on my hand, y'knob!" She stroked his cheek and kissed him. "You've been relieved of pumpkin duty, Hardy. Official medical leave."

"Thank you." 

"I actually can remember a time when I couldn't do it either. Beth had to come over and help carve Tom's pumpkin. I had morning sickness with Fred. So it's like you're a pregnant lady!" She burst out laughing again. He pressed his lips together, disgusted with her again. He pushed past her to get out of the bathroom. She could have sworn, however, that his lips were quirking into a smile. "You just read the paper or something. We'll show it to you when we have the candle in."

He looked alarmed again. "Well, watch out for the candle! Tess carved one when Daisy was little and the candle fell over and scorched the inside of the Jack o' lantern and the house smelled of smoke and scorched pumpkin!"

She looked at him as if he'd lost the plot and started giggling. "It's a battery powered LED light."

"Oh." He plopped down on the sofa and grabbed the newspaper, trying to cover his embarrassment. 

"Is Alec okay?" Tom called from the kitchen.

"I'd better go tell the children we only need to fear for your mental health." She patted his head and left the room. 

Probably to laugh more, he thought darkly.

She heard him mumbling something about how she shouldn't disparage his Scottish roots, because without Scotland there actually wouldn't be Halloween. She started snickering again. 

The boys had nearly cleaned out the pumpkin and were about to start a fight with the innards when she returned. She reined them in. Alec might never enter the kitchen again with random bits of pumpkin littering the area.

 

*****

Later on she invited him out to the front porch to watch as Tom carefully set the battery powered candle in the Jack o' lantern. It illuminated a pair of triangular eyes, an oblong nose and an expression that quirked into a smile on one side and a frown with fangs on the other. "Tom wanted scary, Fred wanted cute, " Ellie explained.

"S' nice," he said. He could deal with it from a distance.

"And it's outside, so you don't have to deal with it," she added, smirking.

She noticed he was trying hard not to smile. "I suppose you might have uncovered one of my dark secrets tonight," Alec said.

"Any others I should know about?" He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close, his chin on her shoulder. 

"Nothing I can think of at this moment. I'll let you know." 

"Well, see that you do, because I don't want to blindside you again." She started giggling.

"The boys know now, don't they?"

"Of course."

Alec sighed. "Then Tom is restraining himself admirably."

"Filin' it away for later," she said, snuggling deeper into his embrace. They watched the glowing face of the Jack o' lantern a bit. Alec took a deep breath.

And grimaced.

"You still smell of pumpkin," he said.


	3. Hands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie and Alec think about going through life together, hand in hand.  
> Takes place right before "Fully Engaged."

His Hands  
Hardy was handy. Ellie knew he was handsy, which she enjoyed very much, but she had no idea that he could fix things around the house. It was a lovely bonus. Ellie had one rule, however. Any jobs started had to be finished. And knowing the reason behind her rule, Alec made sure he did. She trusted that he'd always get it finished.

Handy Hardy, she thought as she watched him fixing a hinge on Daisy's closet door. She thought her heart would burst into a shower of confetti when Fred toddled in with his plastic tool kit and plopped down next to him, a feeling only heightened when Alec gave him a huge smile, dimples on display. 

She loved seeing Fred's little hand holding Alec's large one. She thought that perhaps she fell in love with how Alec loved Fred first.

Hardy was handsy, a fact that both he and Ellie enjoyed immensely. He did t keep them hidden, fidgeting in his pockets anymore. His hand held tightly to hers as she walked. 

He often came up behind her and placed his hands on her hips, thumbs stroking gently, and kissed her neck. Ellie rewarded him with such lovely sounds he felt compelled to do it as often as she liked. His hand stroked her knee as they watched television or read together on the sofa, the light of her Kindle softly illuminating her face, a thick mystery novel in his hand.

And when they were making love his hands were soft, and gentle and loving. He always looked at her in awe then, as if he couldn't believe that this was his life now. That he was hers, and she was his. He touched her so gently and set every nerve on fire and it was amazing. 

Sometimes Ellie could hardly believe Alec was in her life, that this was her life. She kept thinking she would wake up, and realize she'd been having a very cruel nightmare in which none of it was true and Joe was walking free in Broadchurch. But she woke up, every day, and Alec Hardy was soundly sleeping beside her. Her heart knew this was a love she could trust.

 

*****

Her Hands  
Alec loved holding her hand. He thought that her hands were the first thing he really noticed about her, when he finally allowed himself to see her as someone other than the small town detective with whom he was saddled. He had tried to toughen her up, make her as cold as he was when she interrogated suspects, to make her less trusting. He noticed how her kind hands were always trying to comfort Chloe or Beth or Tom when there was no hope of consoling them. She was so quick to try to comfort, to extend a helping hand, to make things right. He had always tried to maintain a professional distance, a cold untrusting hardness, but really, he envied her openness even as he chastised her for it. 

He also knew how powerful those hands were that terrible day she attacked Joe. He had been afraid of her, and afraid for her sanity. And he also realized he loved her. 

As they spent more time together dealing with Sandbrook, Alec would notice the way she'd always ruffle Fred's hair, or push the thick curls out of his face when he was hot and sweaty from crying. Alec was content (well, not content, more like resigned) to love her from afar, to be the father figure she needed for Fred. 

He'd given up on love, and when she'd refuse his comfort he thought that likely, he'd never feel how gentle and loving those hands could be. He was ill, likely dying, and he couldn't give her what she needed anyway. He tried to be satisfied with that.

Later on he shook her hand goodbye, and feeling her firm grip he decided he wasn't satisfied anymore. A leap of faith was much more easily taken hand in hand with Ellie Miller. So, they leapt together.

Alec was amazed that he woke up every morning with her. Even if it was a busy morning and they had to get ready to go, he still felt her gentle hands on his back or touching his cheek and he marveled that those hands he had so admired were now touching him. It was so much better than his fantasies, and he didn't have to imagine what her warm hands felt like as she touched him so lovingly. 

Tonight, as he lay in bed with her, holding her hand, awake as she slept, he thought of the ring box hidden in his drawer under the jumpers. He thought about how it would look on her finger. How matching rings would look on both their hands. 

Alec couldn't wait to ask.


	4. Treat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween. Some sweet candy fluff for your treat bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sgt_pepperony64 and Nannyogg, you inspired this one. "The Halloween Incidents" made me think of a childhood Halloween memory....and I'm pretty sure Nannyogg will figure out her "shout out!"  
> Takes place right before "Trick."

"Well, I suppose I could make it myself," Ellie mused as she and Alec walked out of a shop in Weymouth. 

They had Fred between them, each holding one of his hands. Tom and his friend Chris Bryce were ahead of them, pretending they weren't with adults. The five of them had gone out for Chinese food and were now trying to find a Jake the Neverland Pirate costume for Fred. 

They had been out of luck in the shops they had been in before dinner. They were quickly running out of options. That was what lead Ellie to consider making it from scratch.

Alec, who had come to realize that Ellie wasn't crafty, (but had good intentions) raised an eyebrow. 

"What? I could do it!" Ellie protested. 

"Here's another fancy dress shop," Alec pointed out, not wanting to get into that discussion.

Chris and Tom had already bounded in, attracted by the macabre masks and decorations on the left side of the shop. 

Fred stopped, not sure if he wanted to go in at all. He pulled on Alec's trouser leg and Alec immediately picked the boy up, having gone through this in three stores already. Fred nestled his face in the crook of Alec's neck and they entered the store. 

Trying to soothe Fred, Ellie started pointing out all the silly costumes she saw on the much more child-friendly right side of the store. "Look, sweetie. SpongeBob....and oh, wow, the Hulk! How about Hulk if we can't find Jake here?"

"Nope, Jake," was Fred's reply. "Wanna go 'yo ho!'"

"Couldn't Hulk just say that?" Ellie wondered, earning her disbelieving looks from both Fred and Alec. "Ohhhkay....Hulk is Plan B if we can't find Jake, though." Ellie decided on the spot not to try to make one from scratch. 

After a bit of searching, they realized they couldn't find any Disney costumes at all, so Ellie went to hunt down a shop worker to ask if they'd gotten anything in that wasn't out on the sales floor. 

That left Alec and Fred to peruse the masks. "I see Darf!" Fred called out excitedly. He pointed at a Darth Vader mask and started imitating Vader-like breathing to Alec's amusement. Fred grabbed the mask and held it to his face, the effect somewhat spoiled by his high pitched giggling. Alec laughed out loud . He put that mask down and looked at the display. "Oh, Turtle!" He pointed at a Ninja Turtle mask. Then he stopped in front of the Hulk mask. 

"Wanna try that one on?" Alec asked.

Fred stared at the fierce green plastic face for a bit then said, "Okay." Alec took the mask down, thinking that if Ellie wasn't successful, maybe trying on the mask would give Fred the incentive to choose a different costume. 

Alec helped Fred into the green mask, and immediately Fred was in character. "Hulk smash!!" he bellowed, flexing tiny muscles and jumping around. Alec's side was beginning to hurt from the laughter. He loved the boy so much. He never thought, had no clue when he arrived in Broadchurch, how such a small boy would be such a huge part of his life.

Alec had wanted more children, but Tess had fertility issues crop up after Daisy's birth that she wasn't interested in solving. One was enough for her, and since it was her body, he respected that. He devoted his life to Daisy, and that was fine. But now he had two boys in his life, two boys he considered to be his sons, even if nothing official existed on paper to legitimize it. Yet. 

For the first time, watching Fred Hulk smash his way around the aisle, he let himself entertain that thought. Maybe someday.....

He was jolted out of his thoughts when Fred stomped past the front window of the shop, then stopped, startled. Then he began to cry suddenly and loudly and he pointed at the window. 

"What's wrong, mate?" He knelt down by Fred and on his eye level, he could see what Fred saw. It was Fred's own reflection, looking back at him. "Oh! Fred, did the mask surprise you?" He helped him take it off. "Look, mate. It's just you. You're still there under that mask. See? He cautiously held it up to Fred's face, then took it away, making sure Fred was looking at the reflection. "Still Fred."

"'Till Fred," Fred whispered. 

"It's like when I shaved that time. Still Dad." 

"'Till Dad." 

Alec held the mask up to his face and growled, "Still Dad!"

Fred was momentarily surprised but then he burst out laughing. "Daddy Hulk!" They both laughed. "Do dat one!" Fred handed him the Ninja Turtle mask. 

Of course, Alec complied with the request.

That was how Ellie found them a few minutes later. She came upon them, triumphantly brandishing a package containing a Jake costume. She was about to announce her success but she stopped to watch Alec and Fred.

Alec was wearing the Darth Vader mask and Fred the Ninja Turtle, and a fight for the fate of the galaxy was underway. They only paused when a burst of delighted laughter from Ellie interrupted them. Alec whipped off the mask, his hair matted down and a bit sweaty. 

"Oh, I wish you hadn't stopped! I love the pair of you. Put it back on," Ellie ordered, pulling out her phone.

Alec groaned a little, but of course, once again, he complied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I was a child of about 3, my aunt got me one of those lovely 1970's plastic Halloween costumes.  
> It was Raggedy Ann, probably one of the most benign costumes you could get. Well, I put on the mask, and I happened to walk by my aunt's large picture window and saw myself. Scared the heck out of me. I still wore the costume but I never forgot how startling it was to see that face looking back at me! So...there's my big childhood Halloween scare, Sgt_pepperony64!


	5. Superhero

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred makes a discovery about Alec. Takes place after "Trick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fred and Alec fluff alert!

Alec usually almost got Fred into bed on time in the evenings Ellie had to work at night. And at least fifty percent of the time, Ellie didn't find Alec either asleep in the chair or next to Fred in his little bed. 

Work and chasing after Fred and maths with Tom had him knackered tonight, so Alec reckoned his success record for staying awake probably wouldn't improve.

They were at least on a trajectory to getting Fred into bed on time. Bath had been a bit of a disaster. At least, Fred hadn't balked at only hearing two books. 

Alec had finished "Corduroy" and had moved onto an early reader Avengers book Lucy had found for Fred on a shopping trip to Weymouth. It had delighted Fred to no end and had also met with Alec's approval. 

Alec was dressed in his pajama bottoms and an old rock band t shirt, because he reasoned that he might as well be ready to crawl into his own bed when Ellie got home at midnight and roused him from Fred's. 

Since the shirt was old and stretched from a little boy who tended to tug at the collar when he was dozing off, Alec's surgery scar was visible. Fred had never let on that he'd noticed it before, but this time he pointed at it with a chubby finger and mumbled, "Gots a ouchie."

Alec didn't catch on at first, since he was focused on the book. "You have an ouchie?" he asked. Fred had been out on his little scooter, after all. Alec thought he'd missed one when he performed first aid several hours before. 

"No. You gots it." And this time he touched the scar. 

"Oh. Yeah, that's been there a long time. Not really an ouchie any more. It's called a scar."

"'Car? Why?"

Alec had never really thought about explaining his heart condition to Fred. After all, Fred was so little and unaware when they were investigating Sandbrook before and after the surgery, and for the most part, things had gone well with his health since he'd moved in with Ellie. He reckoned he'd have to discuss it at some point when Fred was older. He thought about what he could say to make him understand it now.

He looked down at the book, and then said, "My heart doesn't always beat right, and the doctor gave me a little machine to help it. You can kind of feel it, here, see?" He gently placed his hand on his chest, where Fred could feel the pacemaker. 

"Oh," Fred said.

"Some people need a little extra help sometimes. Like when Iron Man puts on his suit, I guess." Fred looked at his chest and then made eye contact again. He nodded enthusiastically at Alec.

"Now read it," Fred requested. Alec had been poised to go into more of an explanation if needed. Apparently the boy had heard all he needed to know. Alec began reading.

******

Fred was up with the roosters, as usual on a Saturday, and Tom was feeling unusually charitable, so the adults got to have a bit of a lie-in. After all, Ellie had gotten in past midnight and Alec had spent part of his night in the big rocker.

When they finally wandered downstairs, Fred and Tom were eating cereal and toast. Fred was showing Tom his Avengers book. 

Fred gave Ellie and Alec a huge grin, which they returned, even still groggy and grumpy with sleep. 

Tom was smiling as well, an amused smirk that was unusual before noon.

"Mumma!" Fred announced. "Guess what?"

"What?" Ellie said, kissing the top of his head.

"Daddy is Iron Man," Fred announced. The reason for Tom's amused smirk became evident in that moment. Tom snorted laughter. 

Ellie glanced at Alec, who looked wide awake now. "Wow, really? He is?"

"Yeah!" Fred was beaming at Alec.

Ellie, also beaming, looked to see what Alec's reaction would be.

"You've never seen us in the same place at the same time, have you?" Alec said with a smirk of his own.


	6. Flashback I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A flashback to Alec and Ellie's first awkward kiss and a huge change in Ellie's life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am really throwing it back now. This could function as "prequel" to the first story in the "Life" series- "Lighthearted." In that story, Alec and Ellie had their first real date to the fun fair (with her kids in tow.). This is a ficlet about what lead up to that.
> 
> I'm envisioning one, maybe two more "flashbacks." They keep me busy and from posting the Broadchurch Christmas story I have before anyone's ready for Christmas trees and fluffy family holidays!

It wasn't until after the boys went to bed that Ellie turned her attention to the mail. It had been a very long day of work, and then picking up the boys and throwing together some sort of meal. Frozen pizza, again. She wanted to be one of those mums who planned ahead and fixed nutritious slow cooker meals. Instead, the kids ate pizza and takeaway and soup from a can. She felt like she was still getting the hang of the whole single parent thing, even after months of it. It was more tiring than she ever imagined. 

She was missing Hardy, as well, which was something else she wouldn't have ever imagined. He was her significant other, or best friend or (cringing inwardly as she thought it) her boyfriend now, she reckoned. He had decided to stay in Broadchurch, then he decided to spend his lunch breaks with her, then he decided to kiss her. She decided that it was a wonderful turn of events. 

She hadn't heard from him today. She always felt a bit out of sorts when she didn't get a chance to at least send a text message. After she checked the mail, she decided she would. 

There were, of course, the usual bills, but more intriguing was the thick envelope from her barrister's office. Her hands began to shake slightly as she picked it up from where Tom had tossed it on the kitchen counter. 

She opened it and skimmed over it to the pertinent information. Her divorce was final. No contest. Further, Joe's parental rights had been dissolved as well, leaving her the sole legal guardian of one Thomas Joseph Miller and Fred William Miller. He hadn't fought it. She closed her eyes, and sighed in relief, feeling the weight of her stress lifting from her shoulders. The only thing left to do, then was sign off on it all. She would also need to to sign off on the paperwork changing her name from Eleanor Miller back to Eleanor Collins. That would be easy enough. Ellie had offered to keep Miller to make it easier for Fred and Tom, but Tom had encouraged her to change it. He knew enough kids with parents who had different last names. It wouldn't be a problem. He thought, he told her late one evening, that maybe eventually he'd change his name to Collins as well. 

So that was it, then. Sign some papers, call it quits on thirteen years. Easy.

Ellie felt the hot, bitter tears stinging her eyes.

Thirteen years. Bloody hell. Thirteen years, and she thought over and over during those thirteen years how bloody lucky she was. Her mum and dad had told her over and over how fortunate she was to have Joe. About how glad they were that at least they knew one of their daughters would be fine. Ellie had Joe, who spent his time at home cooking amazing meals and raising their children. He read all the magazines. He knew what to do to help calm Tom's anxieties. He knew what to do to help Fred stay in his own bed at night. He just knew what to do and what to say....

And it had all been a lie. 

She had been so blind. She cursed herself, once again, for being sucked in by the fairy tale it had been. How she had trusted him and believed his lies until it went from fairy tale to horror novel. She thanked God over and over that her parents never knew what happened.

Ellie took a deep breath, trying to get the tears and the negative thoughts under control. She did not sit through all that dammed therapy, getting in touch with her feelings about his betrayal to start thinking like that again. It was too much like when she felt that there was absolutely no light at the end of the tunnel. 

Now there was. She felt closer to the tunnel's end than she had since the whole nightmare began. Maybe the light at the end of the tunnel wasn't an oncoming train after all. 

Alec Hardy had quite a bit to do with that. 

They both enjoyed those lunch dates, even if they spent most of their time talking about the case he was investigating. It was like they were working together again. It was probably the only way she'd be able to do that job again. 

The other day, he'd ended their lunch date by walking her all the way to her car instead of giving her an awkward "G'bye" at the elevator doors. He'd gotten into the lift with her, and his hand had brushed against hers. It was such a simple thing to clasp hands. It felt like they'd been doing it all along. Their hands stayed clasped all the way out to the car park and Hardy seemed to not care that people were noticing it. 

His eyes had been so intense when he'd said goodbye at the car. She'd hardly had time to react when he'd cupped her cheek softly and leaned in to brush her lips with the briefest of kisses. His heart must have been pounding. Her own was galloping. She reckoned she'd gotten a taste of what it was like for Hardy when he had one of his heart spells. She couldn't stop smiling. He had tried to play it cool and failed miserably. It had been extremely endearing. They made plans for another lunch soon.

Ellie's phone buzzed, jolting her out of her jumbled thoughts of Joe and Hardy.

She snatched up the phone and answered before it could go to voice mail. "Miller?" the hesitant Scottish voice said.

"You officially can't call me that anymore," she said, surprising herself with her lighthearted tone. "To begin with, you could call me Ellie. But it's Ellie Collins now. I am officially a divorcee."

There was a pause as Hardy processed all that. "Are you okay?"

"I will be. Had a moment, but...I want to think about what's ahead of me, instead of what's behind." 

Another pause from Hardy. Then finally, "Sounds like a good plan. If you ever...erm...need to talk, I'm here."

A wave of affection overtook her at his adorable awkwardness. "I'll take you up on that."

"Do you have any lunch plans tomorrow, Mil- ". He cut himself off and she could picture his pained expression as he verbally flailed.

"Hardy. Just call me Miller, then work up to Ellie. You can skip the 'Collins' part. I think you just shorted out your brain. I don't reckon it will be as difficult as you think." 

"Do you have lunch plans?" he asked bluntly. Ellie held back a laugh at his disgruntled tone.

They talked a bit more, and planned a lunch for her next day off. They said their good nights, then Hardy hesitantly added, "You know it's only going to get better for you now, right?"

"I hope so," she said. "I think you may be right." 

"See you soon, Miller."

She let it go this time. She eyed the papers, then went to scrounge around for a pen.

******

Hardy disconnected the call but he stared at his phone screen, which still read simply, "Miller."

It was final, then. She was free of Joe. Well, he mentally amended, with him in Sheffield, she wouldn't be free of him, unless he did something incredibly stupid and got himself arrested. Hardy fervently hoped if Joe Miller did anything stupid, it wouldn't involve Miller and the boys.

He thought about how she had a go at him for being unable to call her anything but "Miller." Creature of habit, him. It would be difficult, but you didn't call your girlfriend by her ex-husband's surname. 

Girlfriend? He scowled. That was not the correct word. Significant other? Best friend? Friends with benefits? (He'd heard that one on some moronic telly program.) They were nowhere close to having benefits yet. 

He kissed her, though, that was for sure. He still didn't know what possessed him to walk her out and kiss her at her car in front of God and all of Broadchurch. All he'd had to drink was some of that God-awful weak decaf tea, so he couldn't claim inebriation. 

Hardy didn't regret it, however. In fact, he planned to replicate that experience as soon as he possibly could. He was just a bit shocked that he'd chosen that particular moment to do it. 

Hardy was just glad she didn't reject him outright. Obviously, it wasn't the best kiss he'd ever given. Too quick, too awkward. He hoped he'd have the opportunity to try it again. She had actually smiled, so there was that. She had enjoyed it, brief though it was, and she appeared to be open to more. 

Hardy was cautiously optimistic now, which was an unusual feeling for him. He'd spent quite a while, first not allowing himself to have those kinds of thoughts about Miller, and then letting himself tentatively hope that something could happen. He wouldn't have allowed it unless he thought he actually had something to offer her, and with that little machine keeping things ticking away in his chest, he reckoned that maybe....

Anyways. She was not tied legally to Joe Miller. Something to think about. Tomorrow. It was late, and he was knackered.

He crawled into bed, and he let himself drift off to the sound of the water lapping against the stone wall, and to the memory of Ellie Miller's smile. 

******

Hardy was awakened a mere five hours later by a ridiculous amount of noise behind the little little blue chalet. What the hell, he thought, as he looked out the window. In the early light he saw trucks unloading metal things. It took a second for him to realize what it was.

Another damn fun fair, practically in his back yard. Again. Apparently the summer tourist season was getting off to a ridiculously early start. It was too early to get up for work but there was no hope of sleep now. 

Ellie was home, hopefully peacefully sleeping. Too early to call her. She had to work most of the day, but she got off in the early evening. She'd told him that when they made lunch plans. 

New plans started to form in Alec Hardy's mind, and in that moment he felt something shift in him. He looked at the damn fun fair in the back yard as an opportunity, instead of an annoyance. Not that it wouldn't annoy him for the duration of its stay, but for at least once night, perhaps he could put it to good use.

He decided to get in touch with Ellie later. He could use the time to get used to the idea of calling her Ellie, while he was at it.


	7. Flashback II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie and Alec on an date early in their relationship.  
> Set between "Lighthearted" and "Framed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "If I Fell" by the Beatles inspired this ficlet. The words are so them and I loved the image of them dancing to it, letting the words do the talking.

The music was loud, and their little section of the beach was alive with noise and festive people dancing, enjoying the first really warm weekend of summer under fairy lights and a starry sky. 

Hardy and Miller were not among the dancers. They were at a table, listening to the sixties cover band fronted by some local university students who actually sounded quite good. They specialized in Beatles covers, which Ellie throughly enjoyed. She was looking longingly at the dance floor as the band whooped and hollered their way through "Twist and Shout."

"I babysat the drummer," she said. "They're quite good, dontcha think?"

"I don't dance," Hardy said, his nervousness making his Scottish burr even more pronounced.

It had been an awkward night. They both supposed it was a first real date. Their other times together had consisted mainly of lunch dates when she had days off or when she was working a later shift, and an outing to a fun fair. They had seemed to make some good progress that night, and they both agreed that they needed some adult time alone. She got the babysitter and they ate at the local Italian place. They had mostly talked about his cases and her traffic adventures over dinner. While walking on the beach afterwards, hand in hand, they had come across the dance. Ellie expressed an interest in the band, so he'd plopped down in a chair at a table back from the dance floor. 

The silences had gotten more awkward since they arrived at the dance. Ellie was beginning to fear that they were really good at talking shop and snogging , but that would be the extent of it. Maybe it was just nerves. They were really good at the kissing. She had been hoping they'd get to explore that some more. The thought of more exploration had definitely fired up the imagination in the wee hours of the morning.

"Oh," Ellie said to his anti-dancing disclosure. "We don't have to... I f you want to go, we can."

He saw how she looked back at the band. "We...should stay. I like the Beatles. I'm just... I don't fast dance."

"What- you can't because of your..." She pointed vaguely toward his chest.

"Um, no, that's not it. I'm just...rubbish at it, it so I've been told by both my ex and my daughter. Apparently I appalled Daisy at her tenth birthday. Haven't really done it since."

Ellie laughed. "If I refrained from doing everything that embarrassed Tom, I probably would be restricted to sitting very still on a kitchen chair."  
He burst out laughing, the first real smile since they arrived at the dance. "I've come to think of that as my parental superpower. Don't want to listen? Prepare to hear me sing and dance. Possibly in public." Alec laughed harder, all eye crinkles and dimples. 

"Hadn't thought of it like that," he admitted.

"It's power, I tell you." The silence that followed felt more companionable than awkward. He reached across the table and squeezed her hand. She didn't let it go. He smiled softly. She returned the smile, and it gave her the courage to say, "I was a bit worried."

"About what?"

"That you might be havin' some regrets. About us..."

"No," he said flatly. "No. I'm not."

"Oh," she said. She grinned. "Nor am I." Alec let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. 

"Twist and Shout" ended and the lead singer announced that they were slowing things down. He began to sing. "If I fell in love with you, would you promise to be true...."

It was one of those rare moments when it was exactly the song he needed to hear at the right moment. Hardy was a Beatles fan, and this had always been a favorite. Right then, the song was speaking the words he wanted to say. He stood up, still holding her hand. "Dance with me?"

She was a bit bewildered by the sudden change but she didn't argue. She hopped up and he lead her out to the edge of the dance floor. There was a moment of awkward confusion when he wasn't sure how he'd hold her, but then she threw her arms around his neck and his arms went around her waist. He wondered why he'd ever worried about that part.

"Love this song," she breathed in his ear. He nodded, the goosebumps rising at the feel of her breath on his ear. 

He held her tighter and one of her hands migrated to the back of his head, playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. He gave a shaky sigh and looked at her, with her wide earnest eyes boring into his. "I'm rubbish at this," he finally murmured. 

"You're doing fine. Haven't stepped on my toes or anything," Ellie smiled.

"Not what I was talkin' about," Alec returned with an answering smile. "This. Relationships. I'm bound to cock it up, just you wait."

"And so will I at some point, I'm sure." She cupped his cheek gently. "S'pose I think you're worth it, so I'm tryin', though. "

He brightened at that, the anxiety leaving his eyes. Ellie was saddened to think of how long it must have been since he'd heard someone say he was worth it. He leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, soft and gentle and undemanding. She thought briefly that Alec was much better at snogging than Joe ever was- (then quashed that thought quickly. She wanted to enjoy that moment without Joe's interference.). She lost herself in the sensation of his lips on hers. 

The kiss ebbed away as the song did, and they locked eyes, soft laughter bursting forth from both, giddy from kissing. 

They enjoyed their evening, and Alec even attempted a couple of fast dances with Ellie. He was rubbish at it, all gangly arms and legs, but then again, she was fairly rubbish also, and they couldn't stop laughing at each other.

"Our teenagers would be mortified," Alec said with a laugh.

Ellie made a show of scanning the area, saying with a smirk, "Oh, wouldn't it be lovely if Tom was here."

"I'm rather glad he's not," Alec said, zeroing in on her lips again. They kissed until her phone buzzed.

Ellie broke the kiss with a disgruntled, "Oh." She pulled her phone out of her pocket. "It's the sitter," she sighed. She read the text. "Fred's being a holy terror, I reckon." Her shoulders slumped. 

He nodded and took her hand in his. They walked away from the dance floor, retracing their way back to the car park by the restaurant. They had taken Alec's car. He was relieved to finally be cleared to drive again, and he had insisted on picking Ellie up. "Sorry about this," she sighed as he opened her car door for her. 

"It's okay. I get to see the lady home, and I haven't done that in a while." She smiled up at him from the passenger seat.

He leaned in and kissed her and she thought she'd never grow tired of the feeling of his lips on hers. She also never expected DI Hardarse to have a gallant side. It suited him well.

"You're coming in when we go to the house, right?" Ellie asked. She had no idea where that could lead but she couldn't resist.

He hesitated for only a second. "Sure."

*****

Fred was on a sleep strike against poor sixteen year old Kelly Gilbert, daughter of Fred's child minder. Apparently Kelly hadn't been gifted with her mother's patience and child care ability, Ellie ruefully noticed. 

Fred surprised them both by demanding "Awec!" Alec thought nothing of scooping the boy up and hauling him upstairs in a fireman's carry while Ellie paid the sitter.

She went upstairs to find Alec reading to Fred. They were snuggled together in her big rocking chair. It overwhelmed her to see them cuddled together, Alec murmuring a story of Winnie the Pooh to her son. She decided to go make tea, mainly so Alec wouldn't see the happy tears forming. 

****

He joined her in the kitchen a bare fifteen minutes later. "He's down for the count?" she gasped. 

"Yup," he said.

"Bloody hell, you're nominated for that job! It takes me an hour or more each night. I reckon he didn't adjust t being back here at first, because he was confused about Joe. So I spent a lot of time settling him down at night. Then he just got used to it."

Ellie reached over the kitchen sink to close the window. It stuck on the track again, and she struggled to get it to go down. Alec reached over her to help, and despite enjoying the way their bodies were pressed together, he was as frustrated with it as she was. "Damn window's been faulty for ages," she complained. 

He switched places with her to squint at the window mechanism. It bothered him that she had a faulty window on the ground floor, and it made him anxious that Joe might remember that it didn't work. He didn't mention that. He gave the track a hard look and then said, "Got a screwdriver? Think I can fix that."

Her eyes widened. "Really? You know, I didn't invite you in because I needed repairs done."

"Well, apparently you do need repairs done. I'll fix this tonight. If you have any other windows you need help fixin', I can check this weekend. Let me guess. I suspect Joe never for around to doin' it?"

"No," she said. "And I haven't had time. But I don't need a man to sweep in and take care of everything, you know. I know all about your 'woman in peril' weakness." She winced at her prickly tone. Here he was just trying to help, but in the back of her mind she had a fear that he saw her as a charity case, since she still harbored doubt that anyone would want her after Joe. 

He scowled back. "Well, I don't like the idea of this window not workin'. I'm here, I can fix it, and all without destroyin' your Wonder Woman status. And you're definitely not some woman in peril. I happen to think you're strongest woman I've ever known, and you're also worth the work. I want you and the kids safe. So. Got a screwdriver?"

"Above the washer. And thank you. Remember that thing I said about me cocking things up?"

"I seem to recall that. No harm done." He opened the small cabinet above the washer and he pulled out a small, pink tool kit. "What the hell."

"I sold all of Joe's tools. Realized I didn't have any of my own. Lucy thought it was funny."

He smirked. Clearly, so did he. "I don't think even Wonder Woman would use these." He pulled out a pink handled screwdriver. 

"You're manly enough to make that cool," Ellie said, snorting laughter. 

"I try." 

Ellie started to laugh, but she yawned instead. She had worked a full shift before Alec picked her up for their date. "You go put your feet up on the sofa. I'll do this."

She started to make a token protest at his smug tone but then realized he was going to do work and she had the chance to sit down. That never happened anymore. She took her tea mug, kissed his cheek and went to the living room sofa. 

She ended up dozing off while thinking of the strange turns her life had taken, and also thinking about the man who was in her kitchen fixing a window. Her mum would say she could surely do worse. And having had firsthand experience with worse, Ellie could only agree. 

She startled awake to the feeling of a gentle kiss pressed to her forehead. "Windows's workin'. I locked it. I'd better be getting home, let you rest."

She took his hand and tugged it, and he took the hint. He sat down beside her. "I'm buying the next lunch," she said, snuggling into his shoulder.

"You don't owe me anything." He kissed her temple. It had become a compulsion to have his lips on her as much as possible.

"I'm buyin!"she insisted.

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

"Women in peril rarely buy their rescuers lunch, so enjoy it." 

"Depends on what you buy me." The corner of his mouth quirked up evilly.

She huffed in mock indignation. "You're not being a very nice boyfriend." She couldn't keep a straight face.

"Eugh, is that what I am?" His expression was pained. "No. Partner. There. Much better." 

They heard the sound of a car pulling in the driveway. "That'll be Tom, home from his movie." Alec hopped up as if the sofa scalded him, so worried he was about propriety around her oldest son. She giggled a little and stood up as well. A couple of moments later Tom was crossing the threshold. He flashed a look at Alec, a combination of confusion and protectiveness and embarrassment all wrapped up in one. 

"G'night," Alec said, almost formally. She nearly burst out laughing. Instead, she settled for kissing him lightly. 

"Thanks for a lovely evening," she said. "And for fixing the window. And Fred. God, the least I could do is buy you lunch. So deal with it." 

Tom was still giving them the eye. He was completely flummoxed by the brilliant grin Alec flashed both of them. 

"See you soon, then. G'night, lad." And with another quick peck to Ellie's lips, Alec left.

Tom closed his mouth, barely avoiding catching flies, and said, "It's gonna take a while to get used to this."

"You will... I hope." 

"Workin' on it. You're happy?"

They began to ascend the steps. "Yes. You should have seen him. He danced."

Tom snorted laughter. "How was that?"

"He's about as good at it as I am."

Tom groaned, laughing. "I'm glad I was at a movie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one took a lot of editing and I'm still not quite sure it's the way I wanted it. Hope it worked!


	8. Flashback III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beth and Ellie come to an understanding, and Ellie has something to look forward to with Alec.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place right before "Framed."
> 
> The final scene comes courtesy of a request for more kissing from NZLisaM. It was not a chore to write, by the way. :)

Ellie woke before her boys, early Sunday morning. She tried to doze off again, but to no avail. She was too used to waking for early shifts. She rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. It occurred to her, yet again that she really ought to just get rid of this bed, buy a brand new one with a better mattress and no memories of Joe Miller. 

However, bed frames and mattresses and all that went with them were really out of her budget at the moment, what with having to pay for childcare. So, same old same old. She'd gotten all new sheets, though, budget be damned. She'd gone through the linen closet and binned every sheet set that she'd used in that bed with Joe. She had wanted to burn them. She supposed she should have donated them. Why pass on that karma to some innocent person?

She rolled over to her side, facing what used to be Joe's side of the bed, and sighed. These were not the things she wanted to think about in the early morning hours while her boys slept.

Alec Hardy. Now, there was a subject worth thinking about. She wouldn't have had that thought a year ago, she realized. Life took funny turns, and this was surely the strangest. And also, the most wonderful. He was definitely worth a thought. 

She had gone out with him last night, and for an anxious few minutes she wondered if this new thing between them, which had been slowly getting off the ground, would possibly crash and burn while they sat at a table at a dance, suffering through some painful conversation. But then he'd asked her to dance, confessed his anxiety, and they were finally able to relax with each other in a setting that wasn't about talking shop over lunch in his office, or on a date with her children as a buffer. They both were ready to move on from that. 

She let herself imagine inviting him back to her house and engaging in more of that lovely kissing. He was so good at it. She couldn't get past inviting him upstairs, though. Not that she didn't want to. Just not here, with Joe's memory tainting everything. So....if anything was to progress on that front, it would have to be elsewhere. 

Which lead to the child care issue. The babysitter from the night before wasn't exactly a disaster, but she didn't see inviting her back. She didn't want to dump childcare on Tom, and Tom really wasn't ready to be home alone all night, anyway. She'd have to do some thinking. Lucy, maybe. Oh, Lord. She'd never hear the end of it. Lucy would be talking about "dirty weekends away" and "Harder Hardy.." But if they were to make any progress....

She reckoned she'd call Lucy later. 

And who said he was ready to take that step, anyway, said her nervous self.Her practical self answered back that he'd been suffering the dry spell of the century. Of course he'd be ready. She rolled over restlessly. She gave up the ghost finally and got up to make some coffee and enjoy some quiet time downstairs before her boys were up.

****

Ellie made her coffee and was standing at the counter drinking it and eating some toast and marmalade, surprised that Fred hadn't joined her yet. He was always an early riser on the weekends. She looked out her kitchen window. The neighborhood was quiet. She could see a light on in Beth's house, but the others were still dark and quiet. 

Her neighbors on either side of her were feeling much kinder towards her now that she was moved back in with the boys. She reckoned they pitied her now. At first they'd given her the cold shoulder, seemingly holding her responsible first for the intrusion of the SOCO unit on the street, and then for associating with Joe at all. She still didn't know if they thought she knew about Joe's secrets. She really didn't care. 

The only neighbor's opinion she cared about lived across the field from her. It mattered that Beth knew she hadn't kept Joe's secret from her. She thought she had convinced her, but it was a hard road back. She didn't know if they'd ever be able to reclaim the friendship they had before Danny's murder. But they were making tentative steps toward reconciliation. 

Ellie opened the kitchen window over her sink. It went up smoothly. She opened and closed it a few times just to test it. Alec had done that. She had no idea he was handy. Handy Hardy, who knew. She giggled at the thought. Thank God he hadn't been scared off by her prickliness when he suggested he could fix it. She needed the reassurance that he didn't think of her as some charity case. She didn't know why she ever thought that in the first place. He surely didn't kiss her like he was feeling pity for her. 

It was due to the happy memory of his kisses that she didn't hear the tentative knock at the back door at first. She heard a voice call "El!" And it startled her. She peeked out the back door to see Beth, in her running clothes, on her back step. Ellie immediately unlocked her back door and opened it wide. "Hi!" she called out cheerily.

"I was out running while Lizzie's still asleep, home with Mark. Wouldn't get a run in otherwise. I'll have to go back soon, though. Hope you don't mind me stopping by this early."

It broke Ellie's heart a little that Beth would wonder if she minded. Before Danny's death, Ellie and Beth could have shown up on each other's doorstep, at any time of the day or night, and not worried about whether they were welcome or not.

"You know it's fine," Ellie reassured her. "Some coffee?"

"Could do," Beth answered.

Ellie busied herself pouring another cup. She still hasn't gotten used to making coffee for just one person. She always made too much and ended up pouring out most of the pot. She was glad she had the extra.

"Doin' okay? How's Lizzie?"

"She's thrivin'," Beth said with a smile. She avoided the question about how she was feeling. "She's grown two sizes in the past six weeks. I have to keep shoppin' for clothes."

Ellie grinned. "Must be fun looking at all those cute little girl things. I remember baby boy clothes were just so boring! Dinosaurs or fire trucks. That was about it."

"With Danny it was Thomas the train everything. It's all he'd wear, remember?" Ellie nodded and they both chuckled. Ellie realized it was probably the first time in a very long while they'd laughed over something about the boys. 

"He wanted to wear that one shirt constantly," Ellie recalled.

"I bought two so I wasn't constantly washing it," Beth said with a sigh. She suddenly looked anxious about something, and the moment was lost.

Ellie sensed the change and asked, "What's on your mind, Beth?"

Beth took a deep breath, worrying her lower lip. "So are the rumors true, then? Of course it is....you and Hardy are together. Chloe saw you...and Nige saw you at that dance."

Ellie nodded. She waited for Beth to go on, to see what her reaction would be. She made a concerted effort to stay neutral. At the same time, though, she didn't feel the need to defend herself. There was nothing to defend. 

Beth took a deep breath, uncomfortable. She saw that Ellie meant her to go on.

"What you get up to is your business, Ellie. I just need to know...was what Sharon Bishop said true? Were you...."

"I wasn't shaggin' him during the investigation. We told the complete truth about that. I'm not shaggin' him now, to be quite honest. Believe it or not, we didn't just jump right into bed at the first available moment." Ellie kept her voice level, no hint of sarcasm. She wanted Beth to simply know what the situation was.

Beth was silent for a beat. She slowly nodded. "And does he make you happy?" she asked quietly.

"Very," Ellie replied. "And mostly, the opinion of the town really doesn't matter to me. They'll think what they please and believe what they want. But it does matter to me what you think."

"I think you deserve to be happy. I really do, El."

"I think the same for you, Beth. I'm so sorry..."

Beth held her hand up to stop Ellie. "Don't apologize for that son of a bitch, El. No more. No, I don't see happiness any time soon. Not the same happiness as before Danny died. I'm adjusting to my new normal. And I freaking hate the phrase "new normal". But that's what the counsellor says we're doing. So, I suppose we'll carry on with that. Lizzie and Chloe deserve it."

Tears spilled down Ellie's cheeks. She simply couldn't help it. She stepped forward and enveloped Beth in her arms. For a second she thought Beth wouldn't reciprocate but then Beth's arms were hugging her back tightly. They both cried on the other's shoulder for a few minutes, then Beth pulled back with a confused expression.

"Don't get me wrong, El, you're happy and all but...Hardy? What's that like?" she said. Her only frame of reference was DI Hardy, and that Hardy did not seem conducive to romance.

Ellie burst out laughing, despite the tears. Her friend looked so comically confused. "He..erm...has a different side," she said hesitantly.

Beth's eyebrow went up. "Seriously?" Her voice also went up. It only made Ellie laugh harder.

"Yes," she confirmed. Her slight blush confirmed anything Beth needed to know.

"And you've never..." Beth's question was interrupted by the sound of Fred fussing loudly upstairs. He knew he wasn't supposed to climb over the side of his cot, but from the sounds of it he was about to stage a prison break. Ellie pointed up at the ceiling. That also told Beth all she needed to know.

Beth said, "I need to get home. Lizzie will be up soon. Look...I'm sorry I didn't believe...."

It was Ellie's turn to stop Beth. "Sharon Bishop had to say whatever she could. And she was persuasive. As far as I'm concerned, we need never mention it." Beth squeezed her again, and they both chuckled as Fred's protests ramped up a notch.

"Better get to him before he makes an escape," Beth said. She saw herself to the door with a small smile and wave. Ellie was left alone in the kitchen, with the sound of her son fussing. She reckoned she'd better get him.

******

About twenty minutes later, as she fed Fred his breakfast, the phone rang. It was Beth. She listened, then said surprised, "Are you sure?.......He's a handful, sometimes.....Okay. Next Saturday works.......Cheers, then, Beth. Really."

She disconnected the call and looked at Fred with wide surprised eyes. Fred comically mirrored her expression without understanding why. Then she grinned from ear to ear. Fred mirrored that, too.

"Looks like you got a sleepover next weekend, Mr. Fred," Ellie said cheerily.

*******

Hardy came over that evening with some takeaway. They had an enjoyable meal, and after Fred was tucked into his bed, Alec came back to the living room where Ellie and Tom were sitting. Tom was on the floor, finishing up a level of Mario Kart, and Ellie was lounging in corner of the sofa. Alec paused a second, then plopped down close to, (but a respectable distance away from) Ellie. She took his hand in hers and rested their entwined fingers on her knee. Tom glanced back at them, his eyes widening a bit. He stood up, stopped his game, and went upstairs with a mumble and a wave.

Alec, whose ears were a bit pink, looked at Ellie. She was smirking. She took his hand off her knee and scooted closer. He let go of her hand and draped it across her shoulders, pulling her close. 

"What are you smirkin' about? Keepin' secrets?" Alec said in a low voice, sounding very Scottish and very sinful.

It was her turn for her ears to go pink. She felt quite warm all over.

"Welllll...." She drew out the "l's" as he was often known to do, and continued, "what would you say if I told you Beth has agreed to take Fred overnight next Saturday?"

It took a bit of time to process, but when he did, his grin was from ear to ear, all eye crinkles and dimples. 

He was leaning in to kiss her when she chuckled, "And the penny...."

"Drops, yes, quite right." His lips brushed hers, signaling the end of their spoken conversation. Their lips moved against each other slowly, throughly, and when he tasted her lips with the tip of his tongue, deeply. 

They snogged, him leaning her back into the couch cushions, eventually covering her body with his. Mindful of the boys upstairs, they didn't take things as far as they wanted, (although they made considerable progress) they both had the upcoming Saturday night in the backs of their minds. It would be rather hard to wait.


	9. Who?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred makes another "discovery" about Alec.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have Jalola to blame for this one, with her comment on "Superhero", "Wait until Fred finds out Alec's the Doctor!"  
> This may be goofier than the pumpkin one.  
> Whovian Broadchurch fans will notice that Olivia Colman also gets a mention for her very memorable Who character as well.

As babysitting gigs went, this one was fairly easy. Mum made Fred go down for his nap right before she left to take Alec to his cardiologist for a check up. They had just left, Alec grousing the whole way about being chaperoned and Mum not having any of it. 

Tom got the pizza rolls out of the oven and took them to the living room. Since Mum wasn't home, he figured he could get away with it. He was using the TV tray, after all. He tuned in Netflix and looked around a bit. Okay, he thought, that was a good one. He'd seen it twice with Genny, but it was worth a rewatch. It was Genny's fault he was getting hooked on it anyway. This was the first one she'd showed him. Then he was hooked. She recommended that he didn't skip the Ninth Doctor (he got the feeling that she might judge him if he did) so he was about halfway through the first series. But today, he was in the mood for the 50th Anniverary episode. (Genny even dressed like the female lead, Clara, so perhaps that was part of the appeal.) He pointed the remote at the telly and the movie started. 

Forty minutes in he took a break to clean up the food in the living room so he wouldn't get busted. He texted Genny as he watched the movie. He was distracted with Genny, who was deep into the Doctor Who fandom and could tell him anything he wanted to know. 

He didn't hear Fred get up and come downstairs, because he'd left the baby monitor upstairs, so he was surprised to hear a little voice behind the sofa. "Daddy!" 

"Huh?" He paused the movie. Fred came around to his side of the sofa.  
"Daddy's not home. Mumma and Daddy went to the doctor, remember?"

"No, Tom," Fred said in that tone he used when he was making it clear that his older brother wasn't very bright. "Daddy!" He pointed at the paused image on the telly. He clearly pointed at the one in the brown pinstriped suit. "It's Daddy!"

"What?" Tom looked at the TV. "That's the Doctor. Well, both of 'em."

"That's Daddy! Not him," Fred pointed at the one in the bow tie, then at the pinstriped one. "Him. Daddy's a doctor?"

"No, that's the Doctor! It's a telly show!" 

Fred looked extraordinarily confused. Tom looked at the television again, staring at the Tenth Doctor. "No, not Daddy. Doesn't even look...." He tilted his his head and stared, looking closely. That time he could possibly see why Fred was confused. Okay, maybe he looks like Alec, Tom thought, if you squint and try to imagine facial scruff and...really, no. He remembered how Alec looked that one time he was clean shaven. 

Besides, this guy in the telly was positively bouncy, like if Tigger was a Time Lord. Who knew what was going on in Fred's mind? The kid apparently thought Alec was both Iron Man and the Doctor. Some major hero worship going on, then. That was fine. Tom was glad (and a little envious) that Alec was the only dad Fred remembered. "Erm...I'm not seein' it, Fred." 

"Daddy," Fred said with confidence as he grabbed his Hulk figure and plopped into the sofa. 

Tom picked up the remote,not sure whether to turn it back on or not, if there was something to come that would scare Fred. He shrugged. Practically every kid in the UK had been scared by this show one time or the other. He'd survive. The TV went back on, and the Doctors in the screen returned to arguing about their planet. "Doesn't even sound like him, Fred," Tom muttered. Then he was distracted as the lovely Clara appeared on the screen.

*****  
Thirteen TARDISes were flying to the rescue when the back door opened a little while later. Fred had been mostly playing, but even he had to stop and watch that part. Of course, he had nonstop questions for his older brother while watching. It was mildly annoying, since he had to keep pausing to try to answer. Genny needed to be here. She was the go-to girl for all things Doctor related.

"Hi, boys!" Ellie called out cheerily. The adults peeked into the living room on their way to put away their coats. 

"Hey, Mum," Tom said, still mostly fixated on the screen.

"Daddy's in the telly!" Fred yelled happily.

"What?" Alec asked, thinking first that one of those rubbish true crime shows had popped up again. He was pretty sure that Sandbrook had been mentioned in at least one, and he was about to get after Tom for watching in in front of Fred. Then he noticed what Tom was watching, and stopped himself. 

"Daddy's a Doctor," Fred continued.

"Daddy's doctor appointment went very well," Ellie chirped, missing the point entirely.

Tom cracked up. 

"Fred thinks the Doctor...." Tom pointed at the screen, "...is you, Alec. See?" They watched for a few seconds. "And I'm gonna finish watchin' this upstairs!" He hopped up and turned off the TV, ready to go watch something without interruption. He tossed the remote on the sofa and left them in the room. Tom could hear them as he ascended the stairs.

Ellie was chuckling, her eyes twinkling. "Fred, you might have a point."

"Oh, I don't look like that," Alec grumbled.

"I'm not saying you do. I'm just saying...if you ever wanted to experiment with sideburns....."

Tom didn't hear Alec's response, but he was sure it wasn't a positive one.

*****

Genny called before he had a chance to restart the episode on his laptop. They had a good giggle about Fred, but even Genny thought his little brother might have a point. She rang off, saying, "You might not want to show him the one called 'The Eleventh Hour, ' then. 'Bye, Tom!"

He was curious. He found the episode and started it, not understanding why Genny would say that. 

About two-thirds of the way through, he sat up suddenly, gaping at the screen. He couldn't unsee that. Nope, Fred probably shouldn't be looking at this one, he thought. He shook his head, and decided to pause that one and pick up where he left off in the first season. But not before picking up his phone to text Genny: "Just saw it! Bloody hell!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Non-Whovian fans should know that Olivia Colman was featured in "The Eleventh Hour" episode of Doctor Who- and if Ellie miller's kids ever saw Prisoner 0- who at least starts out looking like Mummy, they'd have nightmares forever! I just could not resist. (Also: I thought adding in Arthur Darvill as Rory/Paul Coates was just a little too much. If Tom didn't notice Ten, he didn't notice Rory.) Broadchurch is nothing like Doctor Who, you know. ;)


	10. Shopping Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ellie witnesses Tom buying a Christmas gift for a special someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is "teaser" for a longer Christmas story I'll be posting soon, called "Christmas Carols."

The shops in Weymouth were full to bursting the weekend before Christmas. Ellie was trudging though the crowds, trying to finish Alec's gift shopping and find something for Lucy. She had expected to go it alone, so she had been very surprised when Tom had hesitantly asked to come along. Shopping and crowds weren't exactly his thing. They really weren't Alec's, either, and she thought she might pay money to watch the pair of them navigate through a string of packed shops. She could imagine the looks of desperation on both their faces.

Tom hadn't complained at all, which was uncharacteristic, and Ellie decided to embrace his willingness to shop, hitting as many retail establishments as she could. They were leaving a charming second hand book shop with a heavy bag of book bargains when Tom indicated in interest in a little shop two doors down. 

Loud rock Christmas music was emanating from it. The windows were plastered over with pictures of video games, rock bands, and to his interest, a poster of a blue police box. "Can we stop in here, Mum?" he asked.

"Sure, but who are you..." He was through the door before she could finish the question. She followed him in and they both goggled at the packed shelves and walls. 

It was dimly lit, with displays dedicated to different sci-fi movies video games, and various and sundry television shows. It was chock full of t-shirts, action figures, pins, and board games. It was a geek paradise. Ellie hadn't known Tom to frequent this kind of store, and she was momentarily confused, until she got a brainwave and grinned from ear to ear. 

Tom didn't have a lot of geeky interests. But he knew someone who did. Tom made a beeline for a display decorated with a large blue phone box cut out. He held up a blue winter hat, looked at it, and put it back. A t-shirt with the same phone box done in the style of a Van Gogh painting was similarly chosen and dismissed when he looked at the price tag. Then, he held up a pair of bright blue gloves that were decorated to look like the phone box. 

"Mum...." Tom began, holding up the gloves. He looked surprisingly shy and uncertain, and Ellie was fairly sure she knew what his question would be. She felt an immense wave of love for her boy. She couldn't help grinning at him, even if he would be embarassed. 

"Those are nice. Do you need gloves?" she asked, knowing what the answer would likely be.

"No, Mum." Tom was fighting the urge to do an eye-roll, she knew. "Not for me." He stepped closer as if imparting a secret of world-shattering proportions. (And maybe, she thought, for him it was world shattering to admit to it.) "Genny. Genny likes Doctor Who. A lot. And she texts all the time. See, they're texting gloves." They did, indeed, have little pads on the fingers. "You think she'd like 'em? No...." He put them down. "That's stupid. Let's go..."

Ellie stopped him from pushing past her. "Tom, it is certainly not stupid. Get them. I'll bet she'll love them. She'd wear them, because I've seen her wearing that Doctor Who t-shirt before."

He picked the gloves back up again. "I dunno. Maybe..." He looked at them wistfully.

Ellie looked him in the eye and said, "I can remember doing the very same thing. I hemmed and hawed and finally bought a little gift for a boy I liked, when I was your age. And I was glad I did, because he got me something too." She didn't tell him it was a cat pin that was hideous and she only wore it once, because they broke up shortly thereafter. She had put it in a bag to go to a charity thrift store. That wasn't the point. She was happy to see that Tom was at least a little more adept at picking out gifts than Johnny Tofnel had been.  
"Do it," she encouraged.

Tom looked at his mum speculatively and then snatched up the gloves. Without a word he took them to the cash register queue.

Ellie felt relieved. After all, just prior to Halloween, he'd announced to her that more than likely he'd never take a chance on a girl, because it just wasn't worth it. Not when he had Joe and her, and Alec and his ex, and the knowledge of Mark Latimer's infidelity as his examples. She knew very well that Genevieve Powell was not likely to be her future daughter-in-law. He was much too young and needed much more life experience before he could ever want or need that. But it was heartening to see her son with a first love, when he'd not been sure he'd ever want to risk a relationship with anyone, ever. 

And, she thought when Tom came back to her, package in hand, looking more lighthearted than usual, if, someday, Genny Powell did end up a daughter in law...sometime far in the future, mind you, she definitely was getting a nice one. 

She looked at her son, and was overwhelmed. The boy who used to build wooden train tracks all over the living room floor was now carrying a gift for a young girl he fancied. It was as if she could travel into the future and see the young man he would become. 

Tom paused. His mum was looking dangerously soppy. He expected the tears at any moment, and he wasn't exactly sure why.

"Mum?" he asked.

"Nothin'," she said with a sigh. "Just love you. More than chocolate, by the way, in case you were wonderin'. Feeling peckish?" 

"Yeah," Tom answered to no great surprise from Ellie.

"Then let's get some lunch. Alec and Fred can fend for themselves just fine." She understood that time was fleeting, and there wouldn't be many more opportunities like this. She was glad that he nodded eagerly. Not too cool to spend time with Mum, apparently. She and her boy found a Chinese restaurant and had a lovely afternoon together. Ellie could say with certainty that life was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will another Christmas short to go along with this one, in which you actually see Genny get the gift from Tom. It'll appear in "The Broadchurch Files" after I get "Christmas Carols" posted. There'll be a New Year's fic too, which focuses on a holiday road trip the family takes.


	11. Mistletoe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec has a holiday surprise for Ellie.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place immediately following "Trick" and right before "Christmas Carols." A holiday related idea popped into my head and wouldn't leave. So once again, NZLisaM, you're getting all the Alec and Ellie snogging.  
> It's not quite "M" rated but it's a bit more of a mature "teen."

The mistletoe appeared before the Christmas tree.

On the day following Joe Miller's sentencing, Alec was about ten minutes later than usual getting home. He had run a mysterious errand and refused to tell Ellie what he had done. He told her he wanted to see if she could find it. Not knowing what "it" was, Ellie had no idea where to look. She warned him, "You had better not gotten me one of those bloody Elf on the Shelf things." He looked at her as if she was insane. She was at least relieved that it didn't appear to be an elf. He gave her the clue that it was Christmas related.

While cleaning up from dinner Ellie happened to notice a small green sprig of a plant hanging in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen. She glanced at Alec, who cut his eyes away from her and became quite interested in the chicken noodle soup. It didn't escape her that he smirked. 

It was game on.

She put her bowl in the sink and with a smile she drifted around the room, prattling on about her day at home with Fred. She stopped in the doorway, waiting.

Alec took his bowl to the sink as well, then he took his time getting to the doorway.

It was worth it when he finally did. 

The snog was great. So was the little disgusted groan from Tom.

After that, they persisted in finding reasons to be in the doorway. Ellie discovered it was a good place to listen to the nightly news, even if one couldn't quite see the television from that angle. It really didn't matter, since the news was forgotten as soon as Alec noticed her position in the room. 

Alec missed most of the news and Tom commented that the doorway would likely be blocked for the entire holiday season. He excused himself to his room for the rest of the evening.

*****

Ellie noticed Alec in the doorway when she came down from giving Fred a bath. As she came down the stairs, she had also noticed Alec shoot up from the sofa like a rocket when he heard her feet on the stairs. He was in position by the time she arrived in the living room. She couldn't help laughing at his feigned nonchalance as he lounged against the doorframe. He was in the mood to play and she reveled in it.

It wasn't long before an extra person appeared under the mistletoe with them, a tiny person tugging at their trouser legs. Fred never liked to be left out of a hug. He ended up in Daddy's arms, giggling from the kisses they peppered all over his little face. He grumbled a little and wiped his cheeks with his sleeve. Ellie told him, "You know Mumma kisses never wipe off. They stick forever!" She tickled Fred's ribs and kissed his cheek again. "And furthermore, the first kiss I ever gave you when you were a wee baby is still stuck on your face." Fred gave her a scowl and Alec looked as if his heart had just melted. It was so endearing, seeing him look so soppy. She had to kiss Alec right then because he was being adorable.

*****

It really amused Ellie to find Alec manufacturing a reason to be in the doorway. At one point, he stopped short in the doorway to bend down and tie his shoes. (They didn't need it.) Ellie waited patiently for him to finish playing around with his laces and stand up. When he finally did she slung her arms around his neck and kissed him enthusiastically. They both laughed afterwards, standing close, his forehead resting against hers. "That one was quite creative," Ellie praised him.

*****

Finally, after the boys were asleep, Alec didn't even bother to manufacture a reason. He grabbed her as she walked past him and pulled her into a slow deep snog. Her arms wrapped around him, pulling him in close. He felt her gentle hand slide up his back and into his hair. It sent a warm thrill down his spine. He sighed into the kiss. 

She loved him like that, in those moments when she could feel him melting into her, his arms wrapped around her so tightly. 

Eventually they needed to breathe so his lips moved down the column of her neck, his whiskers rasping deliciously against her throat. She opened her eyes briefly and whispered, "Alec?"

"Hmmmm?" he hummed against her throat. The vibration made her moan quietly. She could feel him smiling. 

"We're actually not anywhere near the mistletoe. Have you noticed?"

Alec nodded, still sucking lightly at her neck. He broke away long enough to say, "I intend to get ya on a completely different floor from the mistletoe in just a couple of minutes."

"Not like you ever needed the excuse anyway," she gasped as she felt a little bite. She'd need a turtleneck tomorrow. Good thing it was winter.

*****

They were still giggling from the endorphins coursing through their bodies, sated and happy. Alec was looking a wee bit pleased with himself. He rolled onto his side, facing her, head propped on his hand. The fingers of his free hand were lightly skating over the flushed skin of her collarbone. Ellie hummed happily, the she said, "Lovely idea to get the mistletoe."

"Someone was sellin' mistletoe outside the Newsagents. Thought you could do with some flirtin'," Alec answered with a smile. "Been a rough week." She cupped his cheek and kissed him gently.

"Well, the worst is over. I feel like we can breathe again. But, yeah. I could do with some flirtin'. You are surprisingly good at it when you put your mind to it." Her smile was brilliant and he let himself get lost in it for a bit before he spoke again. When he did speak he sounded unsure of himself. 

"Wish it wasn't a surprise. Not my natural instinct to flirt, as I guess you've noticed. I'm usually pleasantly surprised when I get it right. Because I'm just rubbish at it. Always have been."

She kissed him. He seemed to need reassurance. "I didn't fall in love with you for your flirting. I fell in love because...you're you. You love me, and my boys. The romantic gestures are wonderful, but that's not the only thing I love about you." She kissed the palm of his hand. "I love these hands. I'll always regret those times I rejected your comfort because now I know what I missed. You are so kind and gentle. I love the way you show us every day that you're here for us and you keep us safe and love us. You're the father my boys deserve to have." She leaned up and kissed his scar. "I love this heart, and I'm so glad you're taking care of it." She looked him in the eye and her breath was stolen for a moment. Then she found her voice and went on. "You're the love of my life, Alec Hardy. Always will be."

It was the first time she'd ever phrased her love for him in that way, and it warmed him, made his heart feel full. He felt tears behind his eyes and he really didn't want to be soppy but it couldn't be avoided. His emotions were mirrored in her own eyes.

It broke Ellie's heart a little to see so much gratitude in his warm brown eyes and not for the first time she wondered how he could have gone for so long without being cherished by someone. She was grateful that she got to be the one to love him. 

He wrapped her in a tight embrace.  
"And you are mine," he said in a husky voice. "Wow. And all I did was shell out a little money on a sprig of mistletoe. Money well spent." They both chuckled, and she wiped the tears that had leaked out of his eyes, and he wiped hers. They kissed again, and she opened her arms to him. 

They made love a second time, slowly and gently, and after they both shuddered into completion Alec rested his forehead against hers with a sigh and a smile.

"I am buying you mistletoe every year," Alec whispered.

"Looking forward to it," Ellie answered.


	12. Alec's Shopping Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is trying to find the perfect gift for Ellie as their first Christmas as a family approaches.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place between chapters 2 and 3 of "Christmas Carols."

Hardy was in a foul mood at work, which was no surprise to his team. He usually was. They were a little confused, since crime had taken a hiatus in Broadchurch, and they were not in the middle of anything that would stress Hardy out. So as they whispered about his bad temper they speculated that Hardass was having problems at home, and it was making him even more of a wanker at work. They only hoped that Ellie wasn't suffering. 

Hardy didn't share his home life, other than framed photos on his desk. And if he had been one to share, he would have told the nosy parkers of the CID floor that things were fine at home. In fact, they were bloody fantastic. He had three beautiful kids, and Ellie was an amazing partner. In fact, just the other day she'd called him the love of her life. It was nothing short of a miracle how she made him feel. 

And that was the problem.

How do you find a Christmas gift for someone like that?

Objectively he knew he could present her with a really big box of chocolates and a chick flick and she'd be a happy lady. Throw in a pair of comfy pajamas and it'd be like he gave her a week at a spa. (He'd already gotten her the comfy pajamas- she and Daisy were getting similar pairs.)

It wasn't enough. And it was driving him crazy. It was getting ever closer to the zero hour and he still had nothing that he really wanted to give her that would show her just how much she meant to him. 

Thus, the reason for the bad temper. He felt sort of sorry that he was doing it, but since several of the people on the floor had decided to slack off instead of wrapping up the paperwork and clearing desks to get ready for the new year, he felt slightly justified. The fact that he knew damn well that they were muttering behind his back didn't help either. He really didn't care what they thought, but they were spending more time on the office gossip than the office work. So, as he reconsidered, he really didn't feel that sorry at all.

Didn't solve the gift problem, though.

******

Ellie was working one of last remaining traffic shifts before she took the two weeks before Christmas off. Then she'd return to the CID floor. Hardy had no idea how that dynamic would work but he couldn't wait to have her back. She was a brilliant detective. He'd been wanting her back there since they closed Sandbrook.

This was the last of a string of day shifts, so he had his lunch hour free. No Ellie lunch date. She had gone back to bringing him lunch from time to time after they moved in together. Since they lived out of Broadchurch proper it took longer to get home, so they couldn't have special noontime dates at the cottage by the harbor anymore. He missed those, but having a home with her was so much better than those stolen hours alone with her, as lovely as they were. As he walked to the lift, he thought perhaps something for the home, to let her know just how much it meant to him that they were making a home together.

By the time the lift arrived at the lobby he had talked himself out of that. They needed a new toaster, and that just didn't say "I love you" in the way he wanted. 

******

Hardy walked to the small lunch place frequented by the coppers. Warren was in there, and he gave him his usual sunny smile and a wave. No matter how churlish Hardy was, Warren always tried to be civil. 

He could just hear Ellie in his mind, calling him an idiot for going there if he didn't want to be bothered with people he knew. Also, she mentioned he shouldn't act like it was painful to be civil when someone made small talk if he was going to end up in places coworkers frequent. (His internal voice sounded like Ellie most of time.)

Hardy gave Warren a half-hearted wave in return.

Warren took it to mean that Hardy wanted to converse. So he jumped right in with a cheery, "Got your Christmas shopping done?"

Oh, Ellie, Hardy thought. I really was so close to being civil. 

He fixed Warren with a stony look.

Warren became interested in the sandwich menu. He'd learned to shut up once he was on the receiving end of that look. He started mentally calculating the days until he moved to London.

It wasn't until Hardy ordered that he realized that he probably should have shopped first, then ordered food and taken it back to the office. (Ellie, his own personal Jiminy Cricket, mentally informed him of that, too.). So, he set out to the shops on the high street, clutching a bag carrying a styrofoam container with a salad. He sighed and faced the line of stores with air of man about to face a firing squad.

After three frustratingly unsuccessful stops, Hardy found himself at the door of Janelle's Treasure Attic. It was new to Broadchurch, but not new to the police. It had been robbed almost immediately after opening. It had an eclectic mix of items (Hardy would have called it junk, but surely with such a hodgepodge there would be something in special there that was for Ellie.)

Janelle was behind the counter, and she gave him a cheery hello, then a somewhat frosty smile when she realized who her customer was. Hardy returned the wave, then turned away, rolling his eyes. It wasn't his fault he had to check into the insurance fraud angle of the investigation. Janelle had been insulted. She should have gotten over it, he thought, she got her stuff back. 

"May I help you with something?" Janelle asked, trying hard not to add "so you'll leave."

Hardy got the point. "Cheers, no," he said. "Don't know what I'm looking for yet."

He immediately regretted elaborating since Janelle went into customer service mode. "Well, who is it for? Is it for Ellie?" She said it with a quirked eyebrow and knowing smile.

Janelle was surprised to see Hardy look flustered, almost adorably so. Adorable was not an adjective she ever expected to apply to that wanker, yet here he was, pink tipped ears and all. "Yeah," murmured. "I'll just..." He vaguely indicated the sales floor and wandered off.

He passed pretty silk scarves and knicknacks and little painted signs with platitudes on them that would make Ellie bust a gut laughing. He considered getting one just to see her reaction. Maybe. 

He passed a display of costume jewelry rings and immediately eliminated them as a possibility. Ellie just didn't wear that sort of thing. And, he thought, if he ever did get her a ring, it was going to count for something. 

Not that they were exactly ready for that. Yet.

He stopped at some bracelets. They were thin, delicate and not gawdy. Janelle saw him looking and buzzed over to him. "Those are new, DI Hardy. You can customize them. See? You can put on charms, or birthstones for the family, or make them however you like."

Alec nodded and perused the charms. Really, they didn't make charms that covered the circumstances of their relationship, so charms were out. But the birthstone idea was interesting. One for each of them. It would be like that ornament, but something she could wear year around. She would love how the birthstones represented them as a family. 

Then of course, came the awkward indecision, which he hated. During a case he prided himself on being able to make a snap decision and do what needed to be done. He was never indecisive.....except when it came to something like this. 

So he decided to go for it. 

"Which birthstones do you need?" Janelle asked.

He didn't have a clue. Matching birthstones to birth months was not on his radar. He was doing well to remember the actual birthdays.

"I have a chart," Janelle said helpfully. He gratefully accepted it.

He looked it over, remembering that they'd be celebrating Ellie's birthday in February, Tom's in April, Fred's in March, and Daisy's In just a few weeks in January. He hadn't bothered to mention his own April birthday and they hadn't spoken in a while when Ellie had hers. He'd rectify that situation in the new year. He realized how much he was looking looking forward to the new year and all it had to bring. Optimism was an unusual feeling for him. He realized he was grinning broadly as he looked over the chart. 

Janelle had an amused smile of her own. She was friendly with Lucy, and she'd heard Lucy moan and bitch about her sister's taste in men, and how on earth she put up with that grouchy wanker, she had no idea. (Although Lucy did appreciate that Alec loved her sister and kept her safe so she had to give him credit for that). Right now, Janelle could see exactly why Ellie was head over heels for the bloke. 

"Erm...do I need to place an order?" Hardy asked, sobering a bit. "Have to get back..." He gestured vaguely in the direction of the police department. 

"I can have it ready by the time you leave work this evening. Just call." She handed him a business card, which he accepted.

He placed his order, picked up his salad, and made his way to the door, saying, "Cheers. Happy Christmas."  
Janelle's eyes widened but she returned the sentiment. 

Then something caught his eye.

It was a small wooden plaque, painted pink with black lettering. It read: "Every day I fall in love with you more. Except on those days you really piss me off." He burst out laughing, then picked it up. He returned to the cash register and handed it to Janelle, barely suppressing laughter. He paid for the plaque, and confirmed that he'd be back later for the bracelet.

When left the store to head back to the police station, Janelle shook her head, chuckling, and began to work on the bracelet. She thought that Ellie was a lucky lady, regardless of how the man behaved at work.


	13. Cold Hands, Warm Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tom has a special gift for that friend-who-happens-to-be-a-girl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Takes place immediately after "Christmas Carols." Pure, sweet Christmas fluff.

Halfway up the stairs to his room,   
Tom couldn't decide if he was angry with Daisy or not. He was pretty cheesed off about the bollocking he'd just received from her, but when he thought about it he realized he had been a prat, grumbling and barking at everyone in his path on this Boxing Day.

It was T-minus two hours before the gathering at Chris Bryce's house. Two hours to decide if he had the guts to present Genny with the gift of texting gloves decorated to look like the TARDIS from Doctor Who. Or would he be a coward every time?

'Coward every time' was something he remembered the Ninth Doctor saying, which made him picture the small festive bag decorated with snowmen. 

It was over this bag Tom and Daisy had words. Tom was skittish all day because he was due to go to Chris' house at six, with a gift for Genny in tow. His snarling at everyone was a poor cover for his wavering resolve. Daisy pulled him aside with a little bit of advice: "Firstly, if you're just going to be a knob all day, piss off. Go upstairs and be all nervous." Tom didn't respond, as his mouth was gaping like a fish. "Secondly, either she'll love it, or she won't. You'll live either way. From what I've seen of the way she moons over you and you over her, I don't think you have a thing to worry about. So knock it off!" 

Still looking quite like a bluegill on the end of a hook, Tom only managed a gulped, "Okay." He was pretty sure he heard surprised laughter from the living room. He decided not to wait around to find out if he was right about that. He charged up the stairs, wanting to get away from the embarrassment. 

And also so he wouldn't have to admit that Daisy was right.

She didn't have to be so freaking blunt about it, though. How did she know the evening wouldn't end in abject humiliation? Did she actually have the time machine pictured on the gloves he wanted to present to Genny? 

He stopped at the top of attic stairs and rested his head against the door. He sighed. "Fine," he mumbled. "I'll give them to her. I've been through a hell of a lot worse humiliation. I can do this."

Then he decided a shower probably wouldn't hurt.

*****

After a moment of indecision over two hoodies that his mother would have said were virtually identical, Tom was finally dressed and downstairs. He looked for Alec to drive him. His mum and Daisy had changed out of the pajamas they'd worn to bed and into the new pajamas they'd gotten for Christmas, so they clearly weren't going anywhere. They were sitting by the tree with Fred, playing Candyland.

Alec was in the kitchen, avoiding Candyland, and reading one of the mystery novels Ellie found for him. "Still need a ride to Chris'?" Alec asked. 

"Yeah. Do you mind? I don't think Mum..."

"No problem. Ready to go?"

Alec followed Tom down the hall, to the coat closet by the front door. Tom heard Daisy's voice from the living room floor. Her voice had a bit of a warning tone. "Tom....don't forget!" She hopped up from the floor, gift bag in hand. Tom reached over the sofa to accept it from her, scowling. 

"Wasn't gonna leave it," he grumbled. He put it inside his coat. Daisy snickered.

*****

In the car, Alec had the distinct impression that Tom was about to ask him something, several times, and the trip to Chris Bryce's house wasn't really all that far from theirs.

"Somethin' on your mind, lad?" He finally asked. Tom was sighing repeatedly.

"GotagiftforGenny," he mumbled in a rush. 

"Oh." Alec waited for more. Just when he thought there wouldn't be more, Tom spoke again. 

"Didja ever....."

"I have. Yeah. Once. Didn't exactly date a lot in school but yeah. I was freakin' out internally the whole time when I gave her the gift. Sweaty palms and everything."

Tom nodded. Alec had apparently survived it, so he felt a bit better.

"I don't have a lot of advice for you, Tom. I'm really not the one to ask about girls. I reckon I got it right exactly once, and you're related to her. But if you ever need someone to talk to....I'm here."

Tom said, "Thanks."

"Really, Daisy's the one who had the good advice for this one," Alec said with a smirk as he pulled up to the Bryces' house.

"Thought you heard that." 

Alec chuckled, "Hard not to. I'd do what she said."

Tom got out of the car. "Gotcha." 

*****

The Bryces' house was about the same size as Tom's but their basement was finished for entertaining. There were shelves of board games and Manchester United pennants. Tom, Chris and Genny were gathered around a game of Scattergories along with their friends Mike and Robin. 

"Yeah, I don't think "owl crap" is a real answer for 'something you avoid', Robin blurted to general laughter.

"Well, I don't go out of my way to seek it out!" Tom said, laughing hard enough to clutch his stomach as he stood up. He wandered over to the refreshment table, still chuckling. Genny and Robin were throwing their game cards at Mike, effectively ending the game.

"What the hell else would I put for 'O'? Hey, I nicked my mum's Cards Against Humanity," Mike announced. No one was particularly interested. 

Genny got up and followed Tom over to the table. She took a Jammy Dodger (her contribution to the snacks) and gave him a grin. Across the room, Mike and Chris had turned a football game on the telly and Robin was arguing for a movie. Everyone was suitably distracted. 

Tom put his cup of Coke down and reached for his coat thrown on the floor. "Uh...Gen..." he began, but she was fishing for something in her coat as well.

"Anyways, I got you this," she said quickly, pushing her long ginger hair back from her face. She hesitantly handed him a small gift bag. He tried to play it cool, he really did. But he couldn't resist a huge smile. 

"Here ya go," he murmured. He awkwardly handed her the bag he'd been keeping in his coat. They looked at each other, quiet, nervous laughter issuing from both. They decided to open them at the same y time.

"Oh, that's cool," Genny said, inspecting her TARDIS gloves. 

Tom laughed a little when he realized she'd gotten him a pair of similar black texting gloves. "Great minds," he said. "Thanks."

"Thank you! They go with my earrings," she said, sweeping her shiny hair back to reveal small blue earrings. They both laughed self consciously again. They were immediately distracted by the sound of a lamp falling over due to Mike kicking a football at it. 

"Bloody hell, Mike!" Chris yelled. Laughter now directed at Mike and Chris, Tom and Genny rejoined the group. Only Robin seemed to have noticed their absence. She didn't say anything, but the look that passed between her and Genny spoke volumes. 

******

It was late when Mike's dad arrived to pick up his son and run Tom home. Robin's mother arrived to get her and Genny. As the party broke up Tom and Genny were a little slower about getting their coats together. Robin was insisting that the other boys go on ahead of her. Tom and Genny were alone once Robin ushered them upstairs. 

"Thanks again," Genny said shyly. She'd put the gloves on. Tom slid his on. 

"Thanks."

"So you're going to Glasgow, then?"

"In a couple of days, yeah." Genny suddenly reached out and clasped his hand.

"So I'll call ya. Or go outside and text ya. My hands'll be warm."

Tom realized his hands were quite warm without the gloves. At least they hid how sweaty his palms were, he thought. 

"Tom!" Mike's voice rang out from upstairs. They both could hear Robin yelling back at him to shut up. Tom and Genny chuckled. 

They hadn't let go of hands. Suddenly Tom was overwhelmed with a wave of courage. He gave her hand a bit of a tug, pulling her closer. His lips moved independently of his brain and they brushed against Genny's. It was quick, and light and chaste, but a lovely first kiss all the same. They both looked a wee bit shocked, but happy, with what had transpired. She leaned in and gave him another peck, but by then Mike was throwing open the basement door and Robin was cursing at him. 

Tom and Genny held hands all the way up the steps.

Mike talked a mile a minute all the way back to Tom's. Tom managed to nod in all the right places, but his mind was firmly elsewhere. 

And the next morning, if his family noticed that he was floating on a cloud, if Daisy looked a wee bit smug, Tom really wasn't bothered to care.


	14. Beautiful Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec reflects on some of the homes he has lived in.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this as a request on Tumblr then realized I'd written the wrong prompt! I liked it too much to scrap it and rewrite. (Although "Anonymous" will eventually get the correct prompt.) I imagine taking place right after they've moved in together in "Home," so it's Alec and Ellie in the early days.

Hardy's in the kitchen of their new house, the one they're renting together. This house is where they've merged their lives and he's become a father figure to her boys, where she's befriended his daughter and where there's five of them now residing when Daisy visits.

It's so different from that house on the harbor. That hut was tiny, silent, and lonely. It's even different from the house he shared with Tess. That one was very orderly and scheduled and impeccably decorated. It wasn't always quiet (not with slamming doors and harsh words yelled) but for the most part it was controlled and calm.

This house is unpacked boxes and a toddler running and Legos on the floor. It's one teenager shouting downstairs to his mother and her shouting back. It's three kids fighting over the same bathroom. It's a fenced in yard littered with plastic riding toys. It's slipping on that same damn Hot Wheels car Ellie has shouted for Fred to pick up. It's "Do you think we should paint the bedroom blue or gray?" 

Right now, it's two teenagers who aren't siblings, but behave like they are related, having a bit of a row in the living room. 

"Hey! I was gonna eat that!" Hardy hears Daisy shriek.

"Ain't got your name on it," Tom's voice, now deeper, sasses back.

Now Daisy's really hacked off and she's chasing Tom into the kitchen, fussing the whole way. Her face is comically disgruntled and Hardy can't help but chuckle. Ellie pops her head in from the laundry room. "Oi! Don't eat the biscuits in the living room!" she chastises the kids, who are too caught up in their own dispute to listen.

Ellie stops to take in the sight of Alec Hardy chuckling. They've been together for a few months now, but it still surprises her (and warms her heart) when she sees him laughing. She comes up behind him, wraps her arms around his waist and rests her cheek against his back, and together they bask in the beautiful chaos.


	15. Laughing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shameless Alec and Daisy fluff inspired by the series three photo of David Tennant and the actress who plays Daisy laughing. I know they were between takes but for a moment let's pretend they weren't.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I imagine this at the very beginning of Alec and Daisy's first summer together in Broadchurch.

Fred was fussing, so Ellie excused herself from the room to take him out to the car. She knew Alec would t be able to take much more socializing with the people at the CID reception desk, and he'd be along with Daisy at any moment.

She was right, it wasn't a long wait.

Ellie had just gotten Fred buckled into his car seat when they appeared. Daisy walked ahead of her dad, pulling her coat across her chest. (Apparently the weather hadn't gotten the memo that it was June now.) 

Ellie's brow furrowed, watching them. Alec appeared tense, and Daisy's lips were pressed together tersely. What could have happened in the short time she'd been apart from them? It was all so new, with Daisy and Alec trying to patch up their relationship at the same time he and Ellie were forging a new one. Ellie wondered if it was all too much. Her mind jumped to the worst case scenario, of course, because she was great at that. 

Before she could get to the scenario that had the pair of them taking a break until Daisy's visit was over, she observed Daisy looking back at her dad, a wry grin playing at the corners of her mouth. What she said to him was stolen by the cold wind, but his reaction rang out loud and clear.

Alec burst out laughing loudly.  
His eyes crinkled and his broad grin communicated pure amusement. He had to stop for a second to collect himself, and in that time Daisy approached him and kissed his cheek tentatively. He threw an arm around her and they embraced for all of twenty seconds. (Daisy had reached her public display of affection limit.)

Or maybe she hadn't. When they arrived at the car a moment later, Daisy bounced up to Ellie and surprised her with a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for taking care of this one," she murmured, gesturing at Alec. "God knows he needs it."

"Oi, watch it, daughter," Alec warned. Daisy chuckled and slid into the car by Fred, who recovered from his fussing when he saw her. 

Alec flashed a smile at Ellie and pressed a quick kiss to her lips. He entered the car, on the driver's side. 

Ellie shook her head. She was in a state of happy bewilderment. She reckoned she didn't really need to know what had happened. Daisy and Alec were relaxed and happy, she loved them both, and that was enough.


	16. Sleeping In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec and Ellie on their honeymoon. A missing scene from "Aimed at the Same Place."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was prompted by Anonymous on tumblr, who requested "Alec and Ellie, accidentally sleeping in." It seemed to fit in with the ending of their wedding story, "Aimed at the Same Place."

The sun wakes Ellie, flooding the room with light. She opens an eye, noting fuzzily that it's much higher in the sky than she'd expected, and they've must have had a bit of a lie in.

She can't be bothered by that. After all, they were awake well into the wee small hours of the morning after their wedding day.

Ellie's much too comfortable with Alec spooned securely against her back, enveloping her in warmth and peace. She sighs and stretches a bit, content to doze back off in his arms.

Ellie's wriggling is enough to make Alec stir. As he turns his hips more fully against hers she can tell that at least one region is wide awake. She chuckles quietly and pushes her hips back against his, earning a quiet, happy hum from her new husband. 

"Mornin'," he murmurs in her ear, sounding sleepy and sinfully Scottish. When they had awakened on their wedding day in much the same way, they hadn't any time to do anything about it. 

That's not an issue this morning. 

Before long he's murmuring in her ear again as they rock together slowly and sleepily, pleasure slowing enveloping them. He doesn't stop murmuring, telling how good she feels and how beautiful she is. She's a little miffed that he can hold his thoughts together enough to make a coherent sentence because she certainly can't, not with his beard deliciously scratching her neck. Then she forgets to be miffed when he whispers "I love you so much." She never has to say "tell me you love me." Alec always says it. 

Ellie finds her voice in time to say, "And I love you" just before the pair of them fall over the edge together.

Afterwards he hugs her close and she turns in his arms. They're face to face now, both chuckling. "Mornin'," she returns finally, getting back on track after being so deliciously distracted. 

He laughs loudly when she exclaims over how late it is and how they've missed breakfast. "I'll make it up to you, El. There's a place just up the road. You were too busy sleepin' in the car to notice. And really, if this is how we're gonna wake up for the next few days, sod the complementary breakfast!"

Ellie has to admit that he has a point.

An hour later they are occupying a booth in a small restaurant that doesn't look like much but ends up having amazing food. Ellie's showing him the pictures Beth sent her, with their three playing with the Latimers and Alec's cousins, all happy, healthy and enjoying themselves immensely.

The newlyweds can't stop smiling, and Ellie realizes they must look disgustingly in love to anyone who observes them. And that's just fine with her. And from the eye crinkling smile her husband is giving her, it's just fine with him, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very fluffy, I know. But they need to hold on to the peace of their honeymoon, because things are going to take a bit of a darker turn for the Hardy family in the story that follows "Aimed at the Same Place." Coming soon.....


	17. School Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fred is anxious the night before he starts school for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This story was prompted by nannyogg123, who wanted a first day of school story, since her own child was starting school. I regret that it's taken me nearly until the 100th day of school to finish it. I blame a major Broadchurch writer’s block that is slowly being chipped away. I hope to continue this series soon.
> 
> This is also for @timepetalsprompts “Alec Hardy Kidfic” prompt, which I thank for helping me get my arse in gear!
> 
> I had to move the storyline forward a couple of years for it to fit my ‘verse. Alec and Ellie are married and have been blessed with a daughter of their own. Tom is away at school, and Daisy’s living in town, working at the Echo, in their social media department. (That's right, bloody Twitter.). The story starts the night before school starts.
> 
> Fans of nannyogg's brilliant "A Million Holes Poked in the Soul" will notice that I borrowed the name of one her OC's for one of my own.

On the night before the new school year began, Ellie was muttering about “trying something new this school year like being organized,” as Alec passed her on his way up to say goodnight to Fred. Alec rather hoped the resolution would last, but with their schedules, it was difficult. He could foresee last-minute chaos in their future. But at least for tonight lunches were packed and ready, and Fred's brand new school uniform lay out, ready for his newest adventure.

Fred was staring at the plastic glowing stars on his ceiling when Alec came in. “Hey, mate,” Alec murmured.

“I'm not going to school tomorrow, Dad,” Fred announced in a rush, as if he'd been trying to gather his courage. 

Alec regarded him. He could see that Fred wasn't being defiant, he was extremely anxious. Alec answered evenly, “Oh, you're not? Does your mum know this?”

“I think I'll tell her tomorrow,” Fred decided after a short silence.

“I think that would be an extraordinarily bad time to spring the news on her. Can you tell me why you're anxious about it? Are you worried about your teacher?”

“No, Mrs. Jenkins is very nice, and she smells good too,” Fred said with a grin, remembering his “meet the teacher” visit.

Alec smirked. “Well, that's good. Always important to smell good and be nice.” He suspected Fred would be well on his way to his first crush on a teacher, if not by Halloween, definitely by Christmas. The boy looked a bit star struck. “So why would you want to miss out on Mrs. Jenkins? Are you afraid of the school lunches or not knowing where the bathroom is?” Alec was calling on his own repository of school anxieties at Fred’s age.

Fred looked at Alec like he'd just dribbled on his shirt. “No, I'm takin’ my lunches. And there's a bathroom in Mrs. Jenkins’ room.”

“Well….you're smart. You’re already reading. So, no worries there. I give, Fred. Why are you dropping out of school?” Alec was used to trying to drag the details out of Tom. Fred was usually an open book.

Fred sighed heavily, and Alec prepared for the worst. He suspected bullies, but the actual answer surprised him. Fred confessed, “Sophie Sumner said she was gonna kiss me at playtime, and I was gonna marry her. I am not marrying anybody. She drives me crazy!”

Alec crossed his leg and rested his elbow on his thigh so he could cover his mouth before laughter overtook him and he embarrassed Fred. “You know you don't have to, right? Say no, and walk away.”

“She runs too fast.”

Alec, who had once had to perform a water rescue to save Sophie, agreed with that assessment. “This is what you tell her. Your mum and dad say you're too little for that. And you're not allowed to.”

Fred’s sat up, excited. “And she has to listen ‘cause you're the cops and you can arrest her.”

Alec raised his hand, indicating that Fred needed to slow down. “We won't arrest her. And we'd really appreciate you not telling anyone you disagree with that we will.”

Fred flopped back back into his pillow, frustrated.

“You know what to say, except for the arresting part. It's certainly not worth giving up on school. And besides, your mum wants to see you in that school uniform, Alec reminded him.

“Mum’s gonna cry,” Fred remarked.

“Probably,” Alec agreed. “Can't avoid that. Best get some sleep, mate. You have an early day tomorrow.”

Fred sighed. “I guess I'm going.”

“Yeah, you are.” Alec kissed Fred on the forehead and listened to him say his prayers. Fred added a prayer for a good school day. Alec added his own silent prayer that school would be kind to Fred, that he'd be treated well. 

Fred rolled over onto his side, snuggling his Tigger against him. 

The door opened and Ellie stepped in, their drowsy toddler daughter nuzzled into her arms. She carefully passed Annabelle off to Alec so she could kiss Fred.

“M’goin’ to school tomorrow,” Fred mumbled. “And Sophie can't kiss me.”

Ellie glanced at Alec, her eyebrow raised. “No, no she can't,” Ellie agreed. 

*****

Alec joined Ellie in their room after settling Annabelle in for the night. 

“Fred fell asleep before I could tell him that Sophie’s not in his class. I hope that eases his mind a bit.” She sighed and adjusted the pillow behind her head and fretted with the blankets. She was radiating anxiety, so Alec was not surprised by her next question. “D’ya think he'll be okay?”

“El, he's gonna be fine! He's smart, and a hell of a lot more outgoing that I ever hoped to be. He can talk to anybody. He's like you!”

“God forbid, Alec. Get ready for the notes home. Did I ever tell you I got into a lot of trouble in school for talkin’ and bein’ distracted? I could be a holy terror. Always bein’ cheeky with the teachers.”

Alec gave her an eye crinkling grin. “No, really?” She smacked his shoulder. “Didja have an issue with fighting as well?”

“Shut up,” she groused, barely hiding her own smile.

“You brought it up.”

“I suppose you were very studious and just perfect.”

Alec sighed. “I had my nose stuck in a book most of the time, and yeah, I made good grades, but….”

“Lonely?” Ellie asked. Alec nodded.

“And bullied a fair bit but I could run faster. I did made a good friend who was much more outgoing than I ever was, and he did all the talking. It helped. I was fairly hopeless, though.”

Ellie snuggled into Alec’s side, her hand resting over his heart. “You're not hopeless. Never were.” Alec shrugged a bit and she snuggled in closer. He kissed the top of her head. She sighed and spoke again. “Wish I could be there next to him when the bullies bother him. And I hope that the past isn't brought up. He barely remembers all that but you know there's parents who still talk.”

“Who's to say anyone will? Tom hasn't had any issues in a while. And if they do, I know Fred can handle it, because you can. You taught him how.”

Ellie looked up at Alec and smiled sweetly. “I love you but I am frankly uncomfortable with how optimistic you are.” 

Alec smirked. “It's about bloody time I had something to be optimistic about. Deal with it. And on that note…” he rolled over and turned the bedside lamp off. He spooned up against her back and he felt Ellie sigh and melt against him. He draped his arm over her and snuggled in close.

And if on cue, Annabelle let out a yelp, and they both groaned.

*******

They all woke up precisely on time the next morning, and still managed to get out the door eight minutes late, due to Annabelle being two and unaware there was a schedule to keep. 

That didn't keep them from taking many pictures of Fred, dressed proudly in his school uniform. 

Ellie managed to hold the tears in until Fred disappeared into his classroom with his fellow classmates, all lined up like ducklings behind the lovely Mrs. Jenkins. 

“Ellie, he's goin’ off to school, not to war,” Alec growled in a husky voice that betrayed his own emotions.

“I know that, knob, and you'd best wipe the tears out of your eyes too, if you're gonna call me out for cryin’. Wanker.”

Alec chuckled and indeed wiped his tears. 

“He’ll be fine,”Ellie announced, more for her own benefit. “He just looks so damn grown up. I was just not prepared for that. Wish we could keep Annabelle little forever.”

“We could, but remember our plan for the kids to get great jobs and big houses so we could spend our retirement living three months with each of them?”

Ellie sighed, “I hope he had a good day.” She dabbed at her eyes again.

He gave Ellie a quick squeeze, then said, “Best get to work. It'll be pick-up time before you know it.”

********

Ellie was sent out to check up on a tractor theft, leaving Alec to pick up Fred in between meetings.   
They had both wanted a parent picking him up that first day, as opposed to Lucy or Daisy. He waited in the appointed place with the other parents, trying not to make eye contact. He was sure if Ellie had been Fred’s ride she would have exchanged numbers and set up play dates with half the kids in the class in the five minutes he waited for Fred to pop out. 

Not that Shannon Summer didn't try. She always made eye contact and small talk with him, and he always wondered if it was her still trying to repay him for rescuing Sophie after all that time. 

As she went on and on about the merits of Fred’s teacher versus the faults of Sophie’s he tried to make an effort to listen but most of what she said went in one ear and out the other. He was mostly trying to keep a pleasant face on, as Ellie had chastised him for always looking pained when talking to people outside of the interrogation room. Well, it was painful, both in and out of the interrogation room, but one of the miracles brought about by Ellie was that he was at least making an effort to try.

“......Don'tcha think?” Shannon asked. 

He realized he'd missed his cue, thinking about how he was making an effort. He nodded, but he was rescued by the sight of Fred bouncing out of the school with the rest of his classmates. “Dad! Dad!” Fred hollered. He was already shouting the story of his day when he dashed through the crowd to Alec. 

“Dad! There's a boy in my class, can he come over on Saturday?”

“Well...this is rather sudden. Who is this boy?”

Fred pointed at a little boy shyly tugging on his mother’s skirt.

“S’ name’s Duncan. And nobody sat with him ‘cause he's new and he was cryin’ but I sat next to him so he wouldn't be by himself. He likes Mario, too, but his favorite guy is Yoshi, and he's got Mario Kart 8…..”

Alec was still stuck on the fact that Fred had been the one to reach out to the boy. It was such an Ellie thing to do. It didn't take much for Alec to imagine himself in Duncan’s place. 

“.....so can he come over?” Fred was concluding his story.

“His mum and dad would have to get with us to make those plans, Fred.”

Fred rolled his eyes dramatically. “I know!”

“Remember that time you took off for Michael’s house because you two set up a play date without telling any grown ups? Eh?”

“I was four then.”

“Just thought I should remind you.”

His eyes widened as he remembered something. “We have to play Legos in his room ‘cause he has a baby sister too. She gets in all his stuff.”

Alec chuckled as he took Fred’s hand and they walked toward the car. He was thinking of a time, not long ago, when Fred littered Tom’s legos in the upstairs hallway, turning the path from the bedroom to the bathroom into a minefield. “Sounds like you found a friend with a lot in common. We’ll get you boys together. So….how'd it all go with Sophie?”

“She chased Colin the whole time. And she has Mrs. Ames anyways.”

Alec shook his head in wonder at Fred, who bounced off ahead of him, not a trace of last night’s anxiety evident. He hoped life would stay that way, for a while, at least. They could all use some calm in between the inevitable storms as the children insisted upon growing up.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave prompts if you like!


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